The comments came only 48 hours after U.S. forces carried out a limited but high-profile operation in Venezuela, an action publicly justified by the White House as a move to safeguard American citizens and secure energy supplies. The timing of the Venezuelan mission and Trump’s renewed remarks about Greenland prompted questions in Copenhagen and Nuuk about whether a similar approach could be contemplated in the High North.
Nielsen rejected that scenario, stressing Greenland’s long-standing democratic institutions and its cooperative relationship with Washington. “We want to re-establish the good cooperation we have previously had with the United States,” he said, adding that dialogue should remain the primary channel for any future discussions.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen offered a sharper response. In an interview with national broadcaster TV2 on Monday, she warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland would undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization itself. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said, referring to the collective-defense alliance established in 1949. More information on the alliance’s mutual-defense obligations can be found on the official NATO website.
Denmark has moved in recent months to strengthen political and economic ties with Greenland. Copenhagen has pledged additional funding for health care and infrastructure projects and announced plans to enhance Arctic defense capabilities. As part of that effort, the Danish Ministry of Defence confirmed the purchase of 16 more F-35 fighter jets, supplementing the existing fleet assigned to northern airspace patrols.
Trump’s latest overture is not the first. In 2019, during his previous term in office, he floated the notion of buying Greenland, citing strategic reasons linked to Arctic shipping routes and natural resources. The proposal was swiftly dismissed by Danish officials at the time, but it resurfaced during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign and has remained part of the administration’s public rhetoric.
Imagem: Internet
Greenland, with a population of around 57,000, hosts significant deposits of rare earth minerals, uranium, and potential offshore hydrocarbons. It also occupies a key geographic position between North America and Europe, factors that have heightened international interest as Arctic sea ice retreats. The United States already maintains a military presence at Thule Air Base in the island’s northwest, operating early-warning radar systems and satellite tracking facilities under a decades-old agreement with Denmark.
Opinion surveys conducted over the past several years indicate that a large majority of Greenland’s residents oppose U.S. sovereignty. Polls also show widespread support for eventual independence from Denmark, though economic reliance on annual subsidies from Copenhagen remains a central obstacle to full autonomy.
Despite those findings, Trump’s remarks have sparked renewed public debate within Greenland and Denmark about how to manage security ties with Washington while pursuing greater self-determination. Local lawmakers have called for increased transparency on defense matters, and the Danish parliament is expected to schedule hearings on Arctic policy in the coming weeks.
For the moment, Nielsen insists that diplomatic channels remain open. “We are a democratic country and have been for many years,” he said, reiterating that Greenland’s future should be settled through dialogue rather than unilateral action.
Crédito da imagem: Getty Images / Bloomberg
